One Step at a time - A soft pastel painting

“ You can get anywhere if you simply go one step at a time.” Dave Ramsey

Sometime back I tried this soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes light grey toned paper. Every landscape scene has its own challenges. What I loved in this scene was the steps leading into the forest and the misty background. I used muted grey toned colors in the distance to create depth and used light strokes of pastels to create the branches and foliage.

I normally work with a mix of different brands of soft pastels, namely Kohinoor Toison Dor, Mungyo and Sennelier. Out of these if I have to recommend one brand which is great quality apart from being economical is Kohinoor Toison Dor.

Sennelier is extra soft and it easily blends into the paper and I love its quality, however it is far more expensive than other brands. I normally use it as a last layer to apply finishing touches to my painting.

One Step at a time 

A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 5” X 7”

I created a post regarding the use of different papers I use for my soft pastel paintings. CLICK HERE to view the same.

If you wish to see all my artworks in Gallery format, visit my INSTAGRAM site where I post my works on a regular basis. Thanks for visiting my blog and browsing through my artworks. 

Sunlit Branches- A watercolor painting on Chitrapat handmade paper

“Art is as natural as sunshine and as vital as nourishment.” M F Kohl

A morning scene from Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary ( Also known as Keoladeo National park )  The sunlit branches glistening in the morning rays of the sun inspired me to create this artwork. In order to create the texture of the foliage I decided to use the fan brush and the rigger brush and was happy to get the desired effect. I have used a limited palette and mainly the warm colors in this landscape painting. In most of my water color paintings I limit myself to using as few colors as possible. It helps in simplifying the painting process.

The two papers that I love to work with are Arches cold pressed paper. and  Chitrapat handmade paper . Arches however is very expensive and hence I use more of Chitrapat paper these days but very soon plan to shift to Arches paper. For its price, I would definitely Chitrapat paper to all beginners. It can be easily purchased from online stores in India.

Sunlit Branches

A water colour painting on Chitrapat paper

Size 5” X 7”

For the above artwork I have used Winsor and Newton Cotman and Camlin Artists water color tubes. I enjoy working with both these brands and would recommend it to all water color enthusiasts. 

Follow my latest works and techniques on INSTAGRAM and if you love my works and they inspire you, share them with your friends.

Thank you for browsing through my artworks and I appreciate your support in my art journey.

Deeper into the forest - A soft pastel painting

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than one seeks.” John Muir

Of late, I have restarted working with my “Soft Pastel” medium. I began my journey with Mungyo pastels and then like any other artist, went on to add other brands like Kohinoor Toison Dor, and Sennelier. Now I use a mix of all these brands to complete a painting.

Today’s post is a complicated scene in my “Forest” series and I have used the textured side of Canson Mi Teintes paper for a change. In general I go with the smooth textured side. However I know of many artists who regularly use the textured side and I wanted to give it a try.

Deeper into the forest

A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size : 5” X 7”

Selecting a subject for painting is a very personal decision. Some years back I was a lot into “Portrait drawing and sketching”, and then over a period of time as I traveled to different parts of the country, I was fascinated by the stunning beauty of nature. I felt the connection and decided to capture the beauty of nature on paper using pastels and water colour medium. In a way I feel my paintings are an “Ode to Nature”.

To know about the papers I have been using for my pastel artworks CLICK HERE. ( I have created a detailed post in the past )

Thank you for browsing through my artworks and do visit my INSTAGRAM feed to see my latest artworks.

A Thumbnail sketch of a tree using soft pastel medium

" Learn character from trees, values from roots and change from leaves." Tasneem Hameed

Thumbnail sketch is a reduced version of the final painting which I plan to create in future. It is called a thumbnail sketch because it is meant to be small, for ex 3” X 4” OR 4” X 5”. I generally prefer to go by the size 4” X 5” size.

In the past I was not aware about creating these small study works and would directly get into painting the final size. As a result, many a times after completing the work I would realize that

-Composition was flawed

-Supporting elements were not supporting

-Depth was lacking

-Tonal values inappropriate etc

It gets pretty difficult to make changes in a painting once it is complete. Hence these days I have made it a habit to follow my ritual of creating a "Thumbnail sketch" before starting the actual final painting.

To Summarize, I feel the advantages of creating “Thumbnail Sketches” are many such as,

• It helps visualize the final painting
• Helps to explore the effects of adding and subtracting elements from the painting 
• It’s a mental warm up
• Helps save a lot of time and effort
• A great planning tool
• Helps simplify a complicated scene

Today's post is a small study of a beautiful ancient tree in one of the coastal roads leading to Majorda beach in Goa. I knew it then and there that I would paint this tree some day. As of now I have only created a small study to simplify the tree trunk, the branches and the background. Some day later, I can refer to this creation in order to create a bigger version of the same painting.

The reference photo above along with the thumbnail sketch.

A soft pastel thumbnail sketch of "A Tree"

On Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 3” X 4.5”

Thank you for browsing through my artworks and to view my latest works and techniques visit my INSTAGRAM feed.

I take Art workshop in different mediums from time to time and if you are interested in joining any, please DM on instagram page OR mail me at manjupanchal5@gmail.com

Pastel landscape on Canson Mi Teintes Touch paper

" Choose only one master - Nature " Rembrandt

Today’s post is one of my recent landscape paintings on Canson Mi Teintes Touch paper ( Purchased from Art Lounge ). We were traveling on the coastal road of South Goa, when we suddenly came across this road turn which had some dense growth of ancient trees around. The scene also had the perfect light and contrast, and I also fell in love with the hanging tree roots.

I decided to capture this scene using soft pastel medium. I primarily use Mungyo and Kohinoor Toison Dor in the initial layers and give the final touches of Sennelier pastels. ( Purchased from Amazon.in ). Apart from using pastel chalks, I also use Derwent and Kohinoor soft pencils in the end to create thin branches, roots, grasses etc.

"On the coastal road in Goa"

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes Touch paper

Size 5" X 7"

To know more about the papers I have been using for my pastel artworks CLICK HERE. ( I have created a detailed post in the past )

Follow my latest works and techniques on INSTAGRAM and if you love my works and they inspire you, share them with your friends.

On the way to Uttarey, West Sikkim - A soft pastel painting

"Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and spiritual satisfaction." 
E. O. Wilson

Bordered by Bhutan, Tibet, West Bengal and Nepal, Uttarey is a small village located on the Northern slope of Singalila Range in North Sikkim. We paid a visit to this beautiful place while we were on a holiday to Sikkim last year in May. The road to Uttarey from Hee Bermiok had some stunning views on the way. The abundant greenery, the mountains, the waterfalls mesmerize you.

The soft pastel painting as below is inspired by one such scene that we came across while we were on our way to Uttarey. It feels good to be doing a pastel landscape after a long long time.

On the way to Uttarey, North Sikkim

A soft pastel painting on Canson MT paper

Size 7" X 10"

A few images of the steps leading to the creation of the painting as shown above. I started off by picking up a few pastels and placing them on a small white tray so as to avoid a lot of confusion as the painting progresses. I keep the pastel pencils by the side as I use them to create the small branches and other details where ever necessary.

Initial stage of the soft pastel painting.

I wanted to limit myself to a few pastels but as the painting progresses I have practically all my pastels out at my workplace. As seen in the photograph below, I have my Kohinoor and Derwent pastel pencils, Mungyo, Camlin and Sennelier soft pastels all around me as I add more colours to my landscape painting. 

My pastel collection

at my workplace.

Thank you for visiting my blog and browsing through my artworks. If you wish to see my other works visit my INSTAGRAM page, where I upload my paintings on a regular basis.

At Matheran - A Charcoal drawing

“The environment is everything that is not me.” Albert Einstein

When we are out in the wild in the proximity of nature, we come across scenes which capture our attention instantly. The painting actually begins in the mind, the moment we set our eyes on a beautiful scenic landscape.The forest pathway as below was a little away from our Homestay in Matheran and being early morning the sun rays found its way through the dense foliage to create a beautiful contrast of light and shadow on the forest floor.

It is interesting to create a dense forest scene using any medium. With charcoal medium it is mostly about getting the values right. I used kneaded eraser and Staedtler eraser to create the highlights on the pathway and at other places where ever required. Creating thin branches come easy using using any sharp charcoal pencil.

At Matheran

A Charcoal drawing on Favini paper

Size 6"X 7"

I have been working with charcoal medium for very long and I am a little saturated. It is not that I do not love this medium but at times we all need a change. So I am shifting to water colour medium to start with. Will be doing some seascapes and landscapes. No matter what medium, I personally feel that every medium gives me same amount of joy. It is this journey of art which defines me and I am loving every moment of it.

The year 2017 has almost come to an end and I shall be posting soon about some "New year  resolutions" that I have in mind for 2018.

Thank you for browsing through my artworks. 

Drawing a forest scene in charcoal medium

"Art is a line around your thoughts." Gustav Klimt

We were at Karnala Bird Sanctuary when I came across this scene, a pathway leading deeper into the woods. The sun rays  lit up the trees and the foliage in the distance. The composition looked good to me and I decided to capture it on a paper using my interpretation.

I have used willow charcoal and charcoal powder to blend in the background and later used Camlin and other charcoal pencils to create a few details in the mid-ground. Creating a charcoal work is a  great way of doing value study which helps me a lot in creating a coloured painting later. As many other artists say, I too have strongly started believing in the fact that "Value is more important than colour."

Walk in the woods

A charcoal drawing on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 6"X 8"

Half way through the painting, I suddenly remembered to click a photograph of the drawing while it was still in progress. So the image below shows the initial block in stage where in I have simplified the large shapes and created the basic foundation. I have used kneaded eraser to lift out the charcoal from the paper. 

Initial stage of the charcoal drawing

Using willow charcoal, Camlin charcoal pencil and kneaded eraser

 "Fog at the distance" and "Monsoon at Malshej Ghats" are my two other paintings which I have recently created on Canson Mi Teintes paper. This paper grips the charcoal powder pretty well on its sanded surface. I use the smoother side of the paper for my drawings. 

On the 22nd of December I was invited to judge one of the Fine art competitions at MOOD INDIGO Festival, hosted by IIT, Bombay. The event was titled "MONOSTROKES"  and the participants had to create a sketch using the different grades of graphite and charcoal pencils provided to them. 

MOOD INDIGO is the annual cultural festival of Mumbai and the largest in Asia. It attracts a whopping crowd of 1,39,000 students from more than 1700 colleges nationwide. It was an honor to judge this event and a great experience too. I am looking forward to attending more of such events in future too. 

Thank you for visiting my blog and browsing through my artworks.

Painting a forest scene in soft pastel medium

"The artist is always beginning. Any work of art which is not a beginning, an invention, a discovery is of little worth." Ezra Pound ( Courtesy: skinnyartist.com )

The paper that I use most often for my soft pastel works is "Canson Mi Teintes" which fortunately comes in assorted colours. This works as an advantage because choosing the right colour for the subject makes a lot of difference. To know more about the different shades and its specific names you can visit the site DICKBLICK. I normally use Twilight, Tobacco, Sand and Moonstone but I am open to experimenting and exploring with the other colours as well.

For my today's soft pastel painting I decided to go with black Canson MT paper as I wanted the foreground and part of the middle ground to be dark and in shadows. This is a beautiful scene from Karnala Bird Sanctuary and I love this place as I get to walk through different muddy pathways. It is densely populated with trees and in the morning hours I get the perfect light and shadow scenes. 

I have titled this painting "A walk through the shadows" as it reminds me of those beautiful moments in the tranquil nature. 

A walk through the shadows

A soft pastel painting on Canson MT paper

Size 5"X 7"

The soft pastel painting as above progressed in stages and the images can be seen as below. The broken pastels that can be seen around are from Mungyo, Gallery, Camlin and Koh-I-Noor. I also have a set of 24 dark Sennelier pastels which I use towards the end as they are very very soft.

Step 1. Creating the basic outline of the main elements

using white soft pastel pencil and blocking in the colours

of the winding pathway and the distant foliage.

Step 2. Blocking in the major shapes with respective colours

keeping in mind the source of light and atmospheric perspective.

In the final stages, I redo the layering of colours, making changes where ever required. All the detailing happens in the end.

Before I begin any painting, I create small "Thumbnail sketches" or "Tonal value studies" which help me understand the subject well and these little ten minute works enable me to decide on the best composition. Two of the small quick art studies can be seen below. The black and white study has been done using a single Staedtler 8B pencil. I have started using this pencil quite recently and am enjoying it. Both are sized 2" X 3".

Tonal value sketch & Thumbnail sketch

of a landscape.

Thank you all for visiting my blog. If you are into soft pastel medium I would love to know about the papers you use. Do leave in a comment. Browse through my other artworks on my INSTAGRAM page.

The Morning shadows - A soft pastel painting

"The beautiful is in nature, and it is encountered under the most diverse forms of reality. Once it is found it belongs to art, or rather to the artist who discovers it." Gustave Courbet

I love to paint both landscapes and portraits. In fact what unifies every subject is light. The light that falls on the different elements in the subject defines its form and shape and helps reveal its colours. Pastels are a vibrant and ideal medium to capture this light and shadow effect in paintings.

Today's post is a soft pastel painting of a scene that I came across while I was at Karnala Bird Sanctuary recently. It was about ten in the morning and the shadows of the tall trees fell across the road creating interesting patterns. There is so much beauty that lies hidden in the nature and as an artist we try to capture it on to the paper using our vision and interpretation.

To know about the pastel palette that I use, CLICK HERE.

The Morning Shadows

Soft Pastel painting on Canson MT paper

Size 5" X 7"

The initial steps involved in creating the above painting are as follows. I have used a beige coloured Canson paper for this artwork. Canson MT comes in many different colours which is a big advantage to the artist. In this painting a major part of the composition was sky, hence I wanted to use a light toned paper as the base.

Step 1. After drawing a faint outline keeping the one third rule of composition, 

I blocked in the major shapes. At this stage I only look at simplifying the 

shapes and adding the colours as per value study.

Step 2. I add another layer of colours, laying emphasis on the dark tones, mid tones and the

highlights. At this moment, I pay attention to linear and atmospheric perspective

creating depth. I work on the shadows, the tree trunks and foliage.

In the final step I added a few necessary details like branches, sunlit foliage etc in the middle ground. At this stage I make use of my Koh-I-Noor soft pastel pencils. At some point of time I decide to call it quits to avoid overworking on the artwork.

Thanks for browsing through my artworks.Visit my INSTAGRAM page to view my works in other mediums as well. 

Step by step, a soft pastel painting of a landscape from Bharatpur, Rajasthan

"Colour is the pulse of the painting." Michele Cooper

Keoladeo Ghana National park formerly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. One third of the park is wetland systems with varying types of microhabitats having trees, mounds, dykes and open water with or without submerged or emergent plants. The uplands have grasslands ( Savannas ) of tall species of grass together with scattered trees and shrubs present in varying density. ( COURTESY: WIKIPEDIA )

We were there some years back in the month of November. The pastel painting as below is of a morning scene at this Sanctuary. We were in the boat with a guide who was rowing the boat at a very gentle pace so as to avoid disturbing the nesting birds. The morning sun rays lit up the tall dry grass blades and the scene came up so live and vibrant with colours. The warm colours of the sunlit grass was such a contrast to the cool colours of the shadows in the surroundings.

I enjoyed creating this pastel painting and used Mungyo, Koh-I-Noor and Sennelier pastels for the same. To know about the papers that I use for my soft pastel paintings you can CLICK HERE.

The Morning Glow

Soft pastel painting on Canson MT paper

Size 6"X 8"

The soft pastel painting "The Morning Glow"progressed in stages. I am posting two images below.

Step 1. Keeping the composition in mind, I drew a faint outline

and then blocked in the major shapes using the underlying 

dark colours keeping in mind the values.

( The sky and water were painted in similar colours )

Step 2. Started the second layer of colours, adding details and
strokes to suggest foliage, grass etc.Smudging only
if required, else I just leave original pastel strokes.

Step 3. In the final stage of the pastel painting, I add the finishing touches ie adding the glow to the tips of the grass, creating few branches in the tree using pastel pencils, few grasses on the lake along with its reflection.

I purchased a few Koh-I-Noor individual pastel pencils from ART LOUNGE while it was running its annual sale earlier this year. 

My collection of pastel pencils

Before attempting this scene in soft pastels, I did a small study work of the same using willow charcoal and charcoal pencil. To view the value study CLICK HERE. Creating a tonal value study work always helps in a better understanding of the subject that I am going to paint in the coloured medium.

I hope you have enjoyed browsing through my blog. Thanks for taking out your precious time and visiting here. Your comments are welcome.

Charcoal drawing of a landscape from West Sikkim

"To see what others can not.....
You must climb the mountain." Ron Akers

While we were in Sikkim during our holidays we got to stay at a Homestay in Hee Bermiok ( West Sikkim ), which was located quite high up in the mountains. It was a herculean task reaching there but once we got settled we realised the advantage of being there among pristine nature.

Later during the next few days we gathered energy and explored still greater heights in order to get a clear view of Kangchenjunga peak, meet the local people and understand more about their tradition and culture.

On one such route while climbing up the mountain I came across some stunning pathway scenes, the kind I love to paint and I decided to create a charcoal drawing of the same. For creating a study work I love to use "Willow charcoal" which helps in achieving the desired values in a very short period of time.

An upward climb

Charcoal drawing on Cartridge paper

Size 5" X 7"

Camlin charcoal pencil works good in combination with willow charcoal. Willow charcoal is very soft and blends into the paper without leaving too many permanent stains. 

Willow charcoal

Chinese brand,

CLICK HERE to view some of my earlier works created using willow charcoal. I will be conducting a "Charcoal drawing workshop" soon in which I will be discussing in detail regarding the techniques I use to create my charcoal works. To know more about my art workshops you can visit my "ART WORKSHOP" page.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Charcoal drawing on Fabriano Artistico hot pressed paper

"One must keep right on drawing; draw with your eyes if you cannot draw with a pencil."
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

A very thought provoking and inspiring quote. No matter how much I paint but time and again I come back to my drawing, be it in charcoal or graphite medium.

Recently I purchased a sheet of Fabriano Artistico hot pressed water colour paper with an intention of experimenting with charcoal medium on its smooth textured surface. I finally inaugurated this paper by creating a landscape drawing from a scene that I came across while I was taking a morning walk at Coorg. This pathway is leading to one of the Coffee Plantations belonging to some Native of Coorg.

The place is beautiful, weather is very pleasant, the land is very fertile and the greenery is awesome. I have been to Coorg on five different occasions, hence you will find many of my artworks which have been inspired by the beauty of Coorg, also known as Madikeri.

A pathway to Coffee Plantations

Charcoal drawing on Fabriano Artistico paper

Size 6" X 8"

The initial stage of the charcoal drawing

where in I have used charcoal powder

and charcoal pencil

I have used Fabriano Artistico paper for the first time to create a charcoal drawing. It is a water colour paper and I may try it out for water colour painting too. Talking about my experience and review of this paper with respect to charcoal medium, I feel it is absolutely great. It has very fine smooth grainy texture and the charcoal gets fixed on it pretty well.I will definitely be using it again for my future drawings too. 

I created a post some time back where in I wrote in detail about the "Papers" and "Tools" that I use for charcoal drawing and sketching. Times change and over a period of time I have added new tools, new papers in my art stationery collection. I love to experiment and explore in an attempt to find something different and better. It is an ongoing process of learning and experiencing the unknown. 

Thanks a lot for browsing through my works and I am grateful to all the viewers who have been constantly supporting my art and my techniques.

Charcoal study - Using willow charcoal and charcoal pencil

"The day is an empty canvas, the shapes and colours are yours to choose." Alex Noble

A value study is a great way to prepare for the final painting. It helps me understand the subject better and enables me to pay attention to the focal element. As a routine I almost always prepare a value study using either a graphite or charcoal medium.

When it comes to charcoal medium, I love using the willow charcoal as it helps cover a large area in a short time and with a little touch up with charcoal pencil the drawing gets completed.

Posted below is a recent charcoal study work that I created using one of my holiday photographs from Coorg. It is a muddy pathway going uphill towards one of the private Coffee Plantations. I loved the scene as it had distant trees and a great composition for a landscape painting. I shall some day create a soft pastel painting referring to this value study.

Going uphill

Charcoal drawing on Fabriano Academia 120gsm paper

Size 6" X 8"

On my Table Top Easel,

The initial stages using willow charcoal.

I enjoyed doing this quick study in which I used willow charcoal in the beginning to block in the values and later used my charcoal pencil to get the foliage, rock, soil textures etc. Small study works, I feel are a good way to get the feel of the subject before starting a final coloured painting on the same subject.

To view some more of my charcoal study works CLICK HERE.

If you wish to attend my art workshop or wish to purchase one of my artworks please contact me and I shall get back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you for browsing through my artworks.

The woods - A soft pastel painting

"Design is like gravity - the force that holds it all together." E A Whitney

Some time back I posted a few plein air studies that I recently did while I was at Karnala Bird Sanctuary. Referring to the sketch and the photograph, I created the soft pastel painting as below.

The pathway lined with rocks and tall trees on either sides provides ample shade to everyone who walks here. The mystery and silence of the woods is captivating. Time stands still. When I am there, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, I feel like I am in another world and I just want to be there soaking in the beauty of the surroundings. Painting a scene like these is like capturing these beautiful moments on paper.

The woods

Soft pastel painting on Canson MT paper

Size 6.25 X 8.25"

An intricate forest scene always appeals to me as a subject for painting. The shades of green are intimidating and every time I do a scene like this one, I make a few mistakes and these mistakes make me learn a little more about colours, colour mixing etc.

I am enjoying my pastel journey and am looking forward to creating many more such interesting landscapes which take me back in time, and remind me of all the beautiful moments that I spent in nature in solace.

The quotation that I mentioned in the post today is a very interesting one. It speaks for what I believe in. Design and composition is the key to a good painting. It is like a strong force that binds all the elements together and keeps them in harmony. I spend a great deal of time in selecting a good composition for my painting, and then I work on the values and colours.

Thanks for browsing through my works.

The light and shadow in a landscape - Soft pastel drawing

"If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all."

Michelangelo

The quotation as above says it all. Hard work and passion play a very significant role in achieving what one has in mind.

The early morning rays totally transform the landscape. One moment it is enveloped in darkness and then miraculously when the morning rays gently fall all around, the scene comes alive. The light and shadow play and its effects on the landscape continue to fascinate me and I constantly look out for such "Subjects" so that I can paint them and create a memory.

Posted below is one such beautiful scene that I came across while I was at Karnala Bird Sanctuary in the early morning hours. I have yet again used my "Soft Pastel"medium to create this original art. 

The Morning Shadows

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 6.5" X 8.5"

For this painting I have used the "Twilight" shade of Canson MT and I am pretty happy with it. Next I am working on a beautiful seashore painting referring to my study sketch and photograph from Phuket island. 

Thanks for all your support and keep browsing.

A morning at Matheran - A soft pastel painting

"Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else." Leonardo Da Vinci

Greens are still a challenge. Every time I create a landscape, I question myself regarding the green. Should I use a warm green or a cool green? What colour should I put next to it. Then there is the source of light and the shadows and so many other factors to considered before I proceed further.

By now I know the individual shades of greens that I have in my collection. There is a favorite mid tone green in Camlin, a blue green in Kohinoor, the very dark in Mungyo and so on. It is important to know the colours and feel connected to them. Despite having many shades in blues and greens, I constantly feel the need to have more of them. You never find the right shade when you are looking for one. Green is always a dilemma.

The soft pastel painting below has been inspired by an early morning scene from Matheran, a beautiful hill station close to Mumbai. The sun rays lit up the foliage as it perforated through the space between the wild growth on either sides. I am always looking for a scene like this where in I get to see the marvels of nature. The light and shadow play, creating magic in the atmosphere around you. This scene was pretty challenging, nevertheless I enjoyed doing it.

A morning at Matheran

Soft pastel painting on Canson MT

Size 5"X 7"

Matheran has been declared an Eco Sensitive Zone by the Union Environment Ministry and private vehicles are not allowed. The place is very green and has some very promising views for artists, photographers as well as nature lovers.  

On my recent visit to Karnala Bird Sanctuary, I managed to create a few Plein Air sketches using my limited soft pastel palette. I will post the images soon.

Thanks for browsing through my works.

The Shaded Pathway- A Soft pastel painting of a landscape from Coorg

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Henry David Thoreau

I finally completed the soft pastel painting of a scene from Coorg, ( Madikeri ) which I started in November 2016. After doing the initial layer of blocking in the colours, I had taken a break. I normally intend doing a painting at one go as it is so much more convenient. After an interval when I get back to an older work, it is a lot more struggle to restart it all over again. It is like the momentum is gone and I have to recollect everything about the scene and visualize the steps all over again.

However this is one of my favorite scenes that I came across during one of my morning walks in Madikeri and I did not want to give up on this one. It took me longer than expected to complete, but I was happy that I finally completed it.

The shaded pathway

Soft pastel painting on Fabriano Tiziano paper

Size 7.5" X 10"

For my soft pastels I am mainly working with Canson Mi Teintes and Fabriano Tiziano paper. To read more about the papers that I use CLICK HERE.

Of late I have been spending a lot of my time with my small sketch book. I just created a new one exclusively for my AQUARELLE GRAPHITE works. To create a small work sized 4" X 5.5" all I need is a sketch book, a Cretacolour 8B aquarelle graphite pencil, a brush and water. I am enjoying this new found activity because many a times I just have about an hour to myself which is not sufficient to start with some serious work. At such times I get down to doing my study works of different subjects. It is more of experimenting and exploring and is lot of fun.

If you are passionate about art and want to get started with a particular medium then you can attend one of my TWO DAYS ART WORKSHOP which I conduct on a regular basis. My upcoming workshops are listed in advance, so you can register for the same.

Thanks for all your support and keep browsing.

Painting a landscape in soft pastel medium

"If I create from the heart; nearly everything works, if from the head, almost nothing." 

Marc Chagall

When I select a subject for my painting, it is almost always because I love the subject and feel connected to it. Nature is so beautiful and inspiring and there are scenes that leave an indelible impression on one's mind. Through my paintings I am making an attempt to keep these memories alive.

While at Karnala Bird Sancturay during the morning hours, the sunlight created magic lighting up the pathway and the foliage at the tips. The scene was so beautiful that it was then and there that I had decided that I will paint it some day. 

It must be an year or so but every time I looked at this photograph on my laptop, I analysed it and then made my calculations regarding the steps that I would follow in order to create it. It looked pretty complicated in the beginning but then I simplified the steps in my mind over a period of time. Then finally one day I made a thumbnail sketch which more or less represented the vision that I had in mind. Referring to my preliminary study and using my Mungyo and Kohinoor Toison Dor soft pastels, I finally created the work as planned. 

The Morning Rays

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 7"X 9"

I am back to my pastel paintings but at the same time I am also managing to steal a few moments to create my graphite drawings in my sketch book. Getting addicted to it, I guess. Will be posting a few of them soon.

Thanks for browsing through my works.

Working with willow charcoal, charcoal powder and charcoal pencils

The charcoal scene as below is a scene from End Point, Manipal ( Karnataka ). I started this charcoal sketching with the intention of getting the dense forest effect using willow charcoal in combination with the charcoal powder ( Not a branded one. Easily available in art stationery stores ). 

This sketching went through stages of correction or rather I worked a lot more on it to experiment with different techniques so as to arrive at the end result that I wanted. To a certain extent I was successful. However a lot more can be done using the pencils, willow charcoal and the powder. The charcoal sketching helps me in the tonal value study and someday I may recreate the same scene using the soft pastel medium.

At Endpoint, Manipal

Charcoal sketching on Scholar drawing paper

Size 5" X 7"

A painting is like a visual poetry. When I create a painting or a sketching, it is my interpretation of the scene. I paint what I see and observe. For me it is more than just drawing and sketching. It is my visual perception that I give shape to. For every painting that I create, I have a story behind its creation. My passion drives me to paint and sketch on a daily basis and I am grateful for having started this blog in January 2014. Having a blog and the thought of blogging keeps me focused towards my art and it inspires me to work with more dedication. 

Ending with one of my favorite quotes,

"If I could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint." Edward Hopper